Wednesday, April 30, 2008

I like many have watched nervously while Rev. Wright made his appearances with the media this weekend. Feeling both joy and just a bit of pain. I'm not one to make snap judgments and try my best to think rational about all issues, especially ones that tend to drive us to highly emotional responses. Having said that, allow me to review the facts.....

Rev. Wright is NOT a politician. and saying that I feel that it shouldn't be surprising that he wouldn't use political posturing during a press conference........

It could be argued that no ones pastor really needs to be in front of the National Press Club. One should really be asking why he was invited

I won't stand by and allow my pastor to be scapegoated as a political liability without asking some critical questions of his attackers? And as I mention my points, I invite you to examine with me why we are/ are not witnessing BLATANT RACIAL DOUBLE STANDARDS..... shall we :) okay

Why is it so much of a political deal breaker for Obama that one of his supporters, and former pastor Rev. Wright to say that Minister Farrakhan is someone respected by Black America and that he's not such a Bad Guy at all??? I mean event Clinton Supporter PA Governor Ed Rendell while he was MAYOR said the same thing. That didn't seem to be such a political liability for him.

Our favorite President George Bush has even told all of us the MIDDLE FINGER.... and acted an ass on many business occasions

Did he just disrespect a world leader by giving her a massage???? He got away with that huh......

The perceived causes for 9/11... John McCain doesn't get any flack for courting right wing preachers nominations who have blamed 9/11 on gays but the 'other' candidate doesn't

So is the message here that the American people feel that it is more legitimate to blame 9/11 on gays, feminist, and abortionist.. and that blaming it on American foreign policy is totally illegitimate?? Is that what I should take away from this. Please engage me on this because I'm trying to be Post Racial and understand really!

The fact that we have to deal with these obvious double standards proves that the notion of POST RACIALISM is impossible in the U.S. Rev. Wright is being held to a standard WE NEVER EVEN HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TOO... this is real.......

You what I'd like to see discussed in the media right now......

What do these candidates feel about the Patriot Act, Real Id, and the continuing decline of the dollar. You know the dollar is not that much in value compared to the damn Peso anymore.. Why isn't McCain Hillary and Obama addressing that. Why is the media focusing on my PASTOR and not the POLITICIANS AND THEIR POLITICAL VIEWS AND SOLUTIONS.....

Nicole, I know you are expecting to be REALLY attacked for this article but I will leave that to others...

Reverend Wright walked right into a slaughter...and as I believe that he is an intelligent man I can only assume that he knew he was and he also realized that however he tries to explain and justify he was not going to be listened to nor was he going to cause anyone to think...so he gave "them" what they wanted!

Now, I disagree with the Reverend on the AIDS issue because it has killed a whole lot of white gay guys too and that was probably why the government wasn't all to quick to jump onto finding a cure the first few years and because of that it was allowed to spread and do the damage that it has done to the black community.

Other than that I agree with most everything else but I am not "bitter" but rather "alienated" and I believe that a large portion of our society, not just blacks, feel as if they are invisible because we have lost our individuality and the respect of having your individuality acknowledged. Most of the claims you make are correct but your claims are against those who are "insiders" and you, I, Reverend Wright, and Barack Obama are not insiders....along with 95% of the population. The empowerment of individuality that occured in the 60's was frightening to the political system and sense then "Empowerment" has been a dirty word...

Anon, you are exactly right. We are all getting screwed, but it seems like it's so easy to ignore that fact especially when your options include voting for a black man. The whole reason we are talking about Rev. Wright is because Hillary and McCain are banking on white fear. You don't have to agree with Rev. Wright on all of his beliefs. I've stated on many occasions that we aren't a cult. I as a parishioner don't have to agree with everything Rev. Wright says. But this is situation is beyond rediculous

Thank you for taking the time and effort putting up this post. I am not particularly religious but if I lived in Chicago I would have no reservations about attending Trinity Church. While I am supportive of Obama I am more partial to Reverend Wright. It is sad that Faux News, Sean Hammity et al. pushed this NON-troversy to this point. Anyway in the near future when I have some extra funds I plan on sending a donation to TUCC in support of all the good works that your church does for the community and the larger world. God bless and take care.

I also stand with your pastor and your church. As an Asian woman I felt thrown under the bus with Rev. Wright, whose positions and values align with mine more so than Obama's. I understand what Obama had to do and say, but it broke my heart. I will vote for him still, but it proved that we are not living in a post-racial America. Stand strong, Trinity. See my blog on this topic at http://stillinsirsasana.blogspot.com/

Amen Nicole..I'm a former Trinitarian and I stand with you, TUCC, and Pastor Wright. Genesis 33 tells us what man meant for evil, God meant for good, and I believe good is going to be the outcome. Krista

I didn't have a problem with Rev. Wright defending himself, but he could have done it in a way that didn't hurt Barack. The Moyer's interview was OK, but apparantly "politician" is a loaded word, especially when the candidate in question is trying desparately to avoid politics as usual. The worst thing he did was imply that Barack was some sort of phony.

As a 45 year old white female supporter of Barack, who has read "Dreams From My Father", I feel I understand what Trinity is about and do feel Trinity and Rev. Wright have been treated unfairly considering that I feel many white "Christian Right" leaders are far crazier than Rev. Wright. Really the only thing I have a real problem with Wright saying is the thing about the Gov't causing AIDS. I understand and maybe agree with the underlying meaning of some of the other things he said, but he said them in a way that wasn't going to win people to his cause, and the media is perpetuating stupidity.

I can't be as defensive of Rev. Wright now because I do feel he hurt Barack.

What I would love to see trinity do is put out some more public info on your church, providing info on the good works you do and showing that Rev. Wright's statements that we have seen over and over were the exception, not the rule.

Anonymous from Oklahoma,You said:"What I would love to see trinity do is put out some more public info on your church, providing info on the good works you do and showing that Rev. Wright's statements that we have seen over and over were the exception, not the rule."

I'm saying:Is barack and his church running for president? And if thats the case why aren't the other candidates being called to task about their churches and how much they adhere to their pastors and preachers. Rudy Guiliani is a life long catholic but he disagrees with somethings that come from the church namely gay rights and abortion right... Mitt Romney was a life long Mormon, a church that believed for most of it's history that black people could not be ministers and were cursed.. THIS IS A BLATANT double standard!!!I'm not defending Rev. Wright. My argument is that I shouldn't have too because he is not a relevant campaign issue! We don't have a billion dollars to run public relations campaigns to try to convince people that we are not the black panther party....We've shared with the country our good deeds, we've put many many of our sermons on YouTube. In the grand scheme of things I don't think the truth about who Rev Wright is or who we are matter to many in the American public. If you want to see clips though go here.

just know that we aren't a cult. We are not required to agree with every single thing that comes out of Rev. Wrights mouth. but thats the case in most churchs. So it's totally okay that you disagree with some of his statements.

When Pope Benedict XVI arrived in the United States on April 15, his "Apostolic Journey" carried him no farther than Washington DC and New York City -- the two cities where the greatest concentrations of pharisees keep the temple of the modern world.

The Pope met with the American President, members of his cabinet, and representatives from the national parties; conducted two huge open-air masses in Major League Baseball stadiums; and yet, in none of these major venues, nor in his roughly 15 lesser venues, nor in his address on the global stage before the UN General Assembly, did the Pope bat an eye over the conduct of his host state, and the humanly catastrophic policies it pursues.

Instead, the Pope limited his UN remarks to the abstract norm of protecting people from "grave and sustained violations of human rights" and "humanitarian crises, whether natural or man-made." Abstractions that (rightly or wrongly) the EWTN Catholic religious channel in the States interpreted to mean that the U.S. Government possesses a responsibility to protect Iraqis from the violence and humanitarian crisis that has been caused by the U.S. Government in their country, and therefore interpreted as SUPPORTING U.S. policy towards Iraq. (Go check EWTN's coverage for April 18, if you don't believe me.) But abstractions that led the more critical mind of the old CIA analyst Ray McGovern to lament the Pope's failure to match the Methodist bishops who, in 2005, "repent[ed] of our complicity in what we believe to be the unjust and immoral invasion and occupation of Iraq," and who, just last year, called for an immediate withdrawal of the U.S. military from Iraq, on grounds that "The Iraq war is not just a political issue or a military issue. It is a moral issue." (Here quoting McGovern, who's quoting the Methodist Bishop Jack Meadors.)

Eight days after the Pope returned to Rome, leaving the temple of American Power perfectly undisturbed, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright spoke at the National Press Club. Wright packed more reality into these 60 minutes than the Pope could muster in six whole days in the States. -- Might anybody care to tell me whether or not the greatest purveyor of institutionalized violence in the world today is the U.S. Government? This is a factual question, after all. Does our Government spend more on military account than the rest of the world combined? Is the greatest threat to international peace and security posed by some distant and unknown entity, or by a people much closer to home? Or, to move from facts to norms: Is the Christianity of the poor, the oppressed, and the outcast equally the Christianity of the rich, the oppressor, the central figures? Ought not the least come first? Or should coming first remain the privilege of the first?

When I look over the United States of America (though especially since March 13, and the reason the current weblog now exists), I recognize that the single figure with whom these questions are now most closely associated -- the Black Preacher -- has been dragged into the political arena for one reason, and one only: To be served up as an object of ritualized scapegoatting and demonization, and, in the process, to purge from the public arena the kind of issues that he raises, and to drill into the captive minds of the good Americans the lesson that they dare not tread upon the same ground.

For the past seven weeks, this is what we've observed. -- Has it worked?

Count me one straight working class Catholic white guy who watched each and every moment of Rev. Wright's 3 media appearances (Moyers = handsdown best, WPC = handsdown worst) and, other than his anthropologic theories (sounds like something out of eugenics, which was an unadultarated fraud and blight on black folk)I found nothing remotely objectionable whatsoever.

At it's heart, the "Rev. Wright Controversy is about us white folks' unwillingness to listen to hard truths about ourselves. Especially from a black man. Especially from a dignified black man. So, what we are observing now is a de-dignifying of Rev. Wright by the MSM. This has has followed his de-rationalization, and de-legimation by the same arbitars of our corporate culture.

God Bless you Nicole, your Church and especially Rev. Wright. Trinity United Church of Christ exemplifies the Christian mission in our time and place. My most fervent prayers are with you all.

OH NO, yet another black woman person so hell bent on getting a worthless brother to succeed that she acts a fool. Yes, dear, blame the "white man" for your racist pastor and for your empty suit of a candidate.

Blame anybody else.For certainly you being a racist and your pastor being a racist and your Race Card candidate being a racist is not to blame.

No dear, it's me and my own blackness that's truly to blame because I have allowed a white person with real experience to sway my vote, instead of being just another Race Card, like you are.

gloria says:yet another black woman person so hell bent on getting a worthless brother to succeed that she acts a fool.

I say: Who's the 'worthless brother' and how am I acting a 'fool' by pointing out the obvious. That the american public isn't really interested in it's political candidates pastors.....

gloria says:Yes, dear, blame the "white man" for your racist pastor and for your empty suit of a candidate.

I say:Uhhh what is 'the white man' so the MAINSTREAM MEDIA = WHITE MAN OR AMERICAN GOVERNMENT = WHITE MAN. I don't recall blaming all white men for the race baiting being perpetrated by the mainstream media. And I guess you refuse to acknowledge that white people feel the same way. And how do you figure my pastor is a racist when he chose to be apart of a majority white denomination. If he hated whites so much why are we ucc and not AmE???

Gloria says:For certainly you being a racist and your pastor being a racist and your Race Card candidate being a racist is not to blame.

I say:Gloria you sound like an idiot! First of all me my pastor and obama are SURROUNDED by white people. we choose to live with and interact with whites. Where is the racist charge coming from?

Go ahead and take your meds for the day. You're sounding hella off balance right now.

Anon Says:I think that it is pretty easy to find out if someone's comments are racist by simply reversing the roles.

#1 Whites created aids to kill black people.

I say:What the hell is this with transposing white people over GOVERNMENT!!!!!! You guys drive me crazy with that. So every time someone criticizing the government they are criticizing white people.... is that what you're saying?????

Rev,Wright is free to preach anyway he wants that doesn't make it right or biblicle it just means it's the freedom people have in our great country,my question is this WHAT have you learned from this man WHY do you as a follower of his and a (christian) find the need to use cuss words in order to make a point? Seems to me Jesus DID NOT use this kind of language to get his message across! Last Question WHAT do you think of Obama throwing Rev, Wright under the bus in order to advance Politicaly? I think we have all seen what Rev.Wright thinks about it he said it plainly and i admire him for that,Obama doesn't mean what he says he was only distancing himself from him for Political purposes! That's what is outrages not Wright's freedom of speech.

Anon says:Rev,Wright is free to preach anyway he wants that doesn't make it right or biblicle

I say:Are you a biblical scholar?I don't think the average person can accurate argue any preachers BIBLICAL accuracy in their sermons.

Anon says:my question is this WHAT have you learned from this man

I say:I've learned that the bible is relevant to my life. That there are people and events in the bible that related directly to the people and events of my day. And that Jesus is not a racist, nor sexist, nor homophobic. I learned that the lord when on the cross dying forgave a THIEF he'd never met. I learned also learned about the Audacity of Hope......

Anon says:WHY do you as a follower of his and a (christian) find the need to use cuss words in order to make a point?

I say:Nobody NEEDS to curse. We all have bad habits, cursing happens to be one of them. God is dealing with me on that. You act as if once accepting Christ one automatically transformed in a split second. We are all still fallible and in the transformation process. That process never ends....

Anon says:Seems to me Jesus DID NOT use this kind of language to get his message across!

I say:I don't claim to BE Jesus nor does Rev. Wright

Anon says:WHAT do you think of Obama throwing Rev, Wright under the bus in order to advance Politicaly?

I say: Hey Obama might feel genuinely disrespected. Thats not political thats human relationships! And unfortunately for him since the media insist on making his Pastor an issue the whole world has to witness a very personal situation. I don't see it as anybody throwing anybody under a bus.

Anon says:I think we have all seen what Rev.Wright thinks about it he said it plainly and i admire him for that,Obama doesn't mean what he says he was only distancing himself from him for Political purposes! That's what is outrages not Wright's freedom of speech.

I say:No what is outrageous is that the public buys into this crap without demanding the same examination of pastors and associations of the other political candidates...

It is an injustice, a legacy of the racist threads of this nation’s history, but prominent African-Americans are regularly called upon to explain or repudiate what other black Americans have to say, while white public figures are rarely, if ever, handed that burden.

Nicole... Horray for you!!!! I could not have typed it better. As forAnonymous... you must not be fully aware that the AIDS epedemic ranramped in the black community in too large of a number that thespeculation has been that it was purposeful. Rev did not pose a"definite" culprit to the problem... he proposed it. His evidence was that of the Tuskegee Experiment to which most people then denied that it was happening; and yet we find IT WAS PURPOSEFUL. Let's get the facts right.

Truely!... to ask Revto not be who he is in a arena that he felt comfortable. Now, HE,Rev should be asking "who can I trust?" IF you know him, you would know that his demeanor was that of the pulpit not concerning of the national media that will propagandize EVERYTHING and ANYTHING. He is a MAN forGod sake.... he is flawed but now is being condemned and DAMNED if you will,for speaking the truth. We all need to look past the animation,which is typical of "that" man.. and "see"[hear] his message.

It is a shaame that we still TODAY sit in the fields, or the BIG house,or have a so called "freed" mentality...(you'll get that on the way home..lol) WHEN will WE WAKE UP!!!!!This division is notRev's nor Obama's fault it is OUR fault... for not coming togerther anddemanding that this rhetoric, exploitation, chaoas and devisedconfusion end. We did not support both brothas for what they wereCALLED to do. Rev for his theology and Obama for his politics. Theyboth have a job to do. It was and still is our job to protect THEMBOTH!!!

I have more but I don't want to miss the point and start to ramble like those who HAVE flipped the script. "Just the facts ma'ma..just the facts.

I am an Asian-American and US military retiree. I agree with most of what Rev Wright said about our Nation. It is sad that we have inflicted enormous mayhem on the innocent and poor peoples in many nations, all in the service of the military industrial complex. But, where I disagree with Rev Wright is about his comments on AIDS and his theories of learning differentials (left vs right brain) which are so dated and now considered not scientifically not credible.

Most of all, Rev Wright's speeches at the NAACP and worse still at the National Press Club, were sad spectacles in that he became an egomaniacal performer. He could have made the same points he made in the tone and manner in which he conducted himself on the Moyers show. At the NPC, his open disdain for the moderator and his combative and downright insolent behavior made him a caricature of a rabble-rouser rather than a thoughtful Christian preacher. He showed no shred of humility what so ever nor did he show any compassion for the woman who was trying to pose the questions. And, also without question he showed disrespect to Obama by reducing him to a mere "politician" which he is not. Wright has caused more damage to Obama than to himself. It is sad that Wight's ego is still humongous and he seems to be unaware of it. That is sad.

While Mr. Wright's quotes about GD-America, AIDS, and Roosting Chicken's could be considered to be taken out of context when quoted - His speeches over the last few days make it clear this man is not totally sane.

Wild statements without proof will only continue to hurt whatever cause he thinks he is fighting for.

I really wish he would read the Bible and try to learn about being a Christian, while also trying to get some medical help to work on his internal issues.

All that said, I will still continue to support Obama - but that support would have to end if Obama continued to seek advice of this a man of hate.

You asked why Obama's pastor is getting so much scrutiny when other politicians' pastors are not.

The reason is that Obama made Rev. Wright a centerpiece of his life story. Obama had him perform his wedding and baptize his children. He named his book after one of his sermons. He called him a mentor, almost a surrogate father, and someone who had a transformative impact on who he is today.

This is a much closer and influential relationship than the politicians you mention claim to have with the religious people you mention. And it caused Rev. Wright to come under closer scrutiny.

It also happens that many of Wright's soundbites play into people's fears about the black experience. This has made the soundbites politically useful for the oposition, which is what sparked the controversy. Instead of solemnly putting those controversial remarks in perspective, Rev. Wright defended them while hamming it up on stage in front of a room full of press people.

I'm sure he is a delightful and inspiring minister. He was out of his depth on national television in the heat of a political competition for the most powerful position in the world. He must have been advised by many to lie low until the election was over. I'm sure the last thing he wants is to be the person that prevented the first black U.S. president.

AIDs originated in the gay community that much is a fact. Another fact is that AIDs is passed via unprotected sex and or via needle sharing. The Tuskagee Experiment involved the government sticking needles into black men. That AIDS epademic was causded by the Reagan Administrations total lack of concern. The government only becomes concerned when something can affect them and their kind; and there was an assumption on their part that their kind could not be touched by something that involved gay sex and or needles...they were thus proven wrong. They are still wrong today when they do not support needle exchanges and or free condoms...and of course education and support for organizations that work with the victims of this epademic.

Further...our political system no longer represents us the people. That includes whites, blacks and everybody in between. What most people do not realize is that Obama is the only candidate who has a minister and who actually goes to church...for the rest of them it religion is just something they give lip service to...they worship at the alter of power.

We were supposed to have McCain against Clinton and the only ministers on TV are to be Falwell, Robertson, and Dodson...the crazy white guys...

Obama doesn't know his place and to prove it they throw up his minister as an example...just in case too many of us sheep get to liking Obama...

I remember being a white kid in Detroit during the riots...and I thought it was interesting that my Dad complained just like the black people on TV did...

All these years I keep waiting for the day for the "middle class" to wake up and realize there is no such thing as the middle class anymore. I keep wondering when blacks and whites would realize that is it our own stupdity that keeps us apart and as long as we are kept apart the powers that be can maintain an economic system that benefits them...

I keep waiting for the day when white poor, working, and middle class people wake up and realize that having the same skin color as the powers that be gives them absolutely nothing in common with them. As a 50 year old white male I have more in common with Barack than I do with Hillary and or McCain. Even with the fact that McCain and I are both military brats...he daddy was an Admiral and mine was a sargent...he would not have even acknowledged my presence had we gone to school together...I would have been invisisble to him...unless I was in to being cool for hanging around (sucking up) with the big shots...

The powers that be do not want a fence between us and Mexico, they do not want to do away with welfare and they do not want to have full employment. If we did all these things then we could ask for more wages and benefits and that would hurt their bottom line. As long as we fear for our jobs wages can be kept low.

They pander to us by offering to lower gas prices by giving us a tax holiday...why not really lower the price of gas by getting out of Iraq? Everytime we go into the middle east gas prices go up...so lets get out.

But if we got out of Iraq then some oil companies wouldn't enjoy the profits they do now and they wouldn't get to push for drilling for oil in more places in the US.

So, Gloria honey, the only empty suit is the ones in office right now...and the reason the Republicans are so bent on attacking Obama right now and laying off of Clinton is because she is one of them...Obama scares them because he is not one of them....and neither are we (which includes you, me, Nicole, and the Reverend Wright)

I think it is sad that he felt he needed to "defend" himself right now, at this crucial moment in the election, at the risk of costing barack the nomination, and in the process stomping on the dreams of millions of americans to finally take back our government.

I understand the disappointment. I'm confused but at the end of the day the Lord is still in control.

I'm going to take my picture down as I've gotten some very terrible emails now. And this fight is not mine. I'm trying to offer some logic to the discussion. No one would care if this wasn't being used as political football.

To everyone else though Trinity members and supporters. Just keep us all up in prayer.

Check this out. This is part of Hillary Clintons scheme to win. One way to argue the AIDS epidemic. Bill Clinton criminalizes crack cocaine. He is part of the govt. Who gets locked up? Blacks. Who gets infected in prison, blacks. Who gets out and infects others. Blacks. Who passes the telecommunications act. Bill Clinton. He already planned to have Hillary run. He knew then the airwaves would be controlled by 2008. I do not watch the news. Trinitarians and supporters. Rev. preached a sermon right after Juanita Bynums husband beat her down and the Senator Craig from Idaho was caught playing footsie in the airport mensroom. He did not mock them. Instead he challenged parishioners, "how would you like to have your worst mistakes all over the airwaves?" Obama is not God, God is God. He knew this day would come. And he will work it out for good. I heard from my mom yesterday CNN had reporters combing the neighborhood trying to interview neighbors, who they thought looked poor. Their angle, Trinity is well heeled in the midst of the poor Lowden homes.But I remember Lowden when I was in high school. I went to Harlan. It looks 100% better. There is no story about Grosse Pointe MI kitty corner to Detroits bad neighborhoods. And they do not look like the Lowden homes. These gossip columnist will stop at nothing. But I serve Christ not Obama. Yes I will vote for him but I care about Trinity. What is the price of a presidency? I feel bad for all involved.

No one should even be talking about Rev. Wright as he is not running for office. Maybe that is the point, why did he inject himself into the public arena...did he want this to be about him? What was the example of Christ to his accusers - Silence. When Jesus was tempted to engage in the politics of his time he declined, never did Christ confront or accuse the Roman occupiers of Palestine. He never addressed their war campaigns, their capital punishment,or the governments taxation except for his followers to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's. When his followers asked him to bring down destruction and damnation on others - (Luke 9:54) And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we bid fire to come down from heaven, and consume them? 55 But he turned, and rebuked them. Jesus was clear on how his disciples should be known - by their love, not by their condemnation of others. When pastors or Christians from the left or the right leave their first love and dirty themselves with the temporal, including politics of their day, they have taken their eyes off the Lord and just like Peter walking on the water...they begin to sink.Compare and contrast the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus to the teachings of Rev. Wright, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell or any other representative of Christ. Then, ask yourself if you hear and see the teachings of Christ. If there is not a distinct humbling and denial of self, loving of their enemies and clear message of the "Good News", then pray hard. Sacrificial love will always triumph. As Christians, let's pray "thy will be done",and forsake anything, including our own political wills that keep us from manifesting the true love of Christ in our speech and our demeanors. Defending ourselves with the good we do is meaningless if we do not first and foremost demonstrate love. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Why should we as Christians uphold our good works as a covering for our clear failure to manifest the true love of Christ? The Good News teaches us the clearly the fallacy in this thinking. Why should we expect the world around us to think differently?

You said something up above that has given me good pause for thought. That when the government is criticized we white people think that it's about us. Hmmmm.... I'm not sure there's a comforting explanation of that phenomenon for me. Thanks.

As I said somewhere else, the ministries of Trinity UCC witness much more powerfully and truthfully about who Rev. Jeremiah Wright was/is than his appearance Monday. In the long run, that will be his legacy.

Has anyone thought that maybe, along with Wright being thoroughly convicted about what he said that maybe he saw his NPC Press conference as a way that Obama would HAVE to come out and outright denounce him in order to move on with his campaign--otherwise Wright would have been an albatross around his neck?

Just food for thought:

Oh, and to address an "Anon." comment about "blacks spread AIDS by irresponsible sexual practice."

Be that as it may, whites mess around just as much as blacks. The reason why HIV/AIDS rates are skyrocketing in the African American community is a lack of available health care resources. This is a result of African Americans being concentrated in metropolitan areas with public hospitals being underfunded at alarming rates and as a result of that hospitals aren't capable of treating clients as they should be treated.

If we're going to talk about this, let's tell the whole story.

And while we're at it, we need to get a working definition of "racism." It's just interesting to see how those who are in power are quick to throw out the race card of reverse racism.

Thank you for your comments. Unfortunately the black journalist in the mainstream media that I have read -- Bob Herbert of the Times are tying to absolve themselves by blaming Rev. Wright for the whole incident. They are shift the blame and blaming the victim. Also many of the liberal bloggers are engaging in the same framing of blaming Wright.

Bill Moyers provided an excellent and fair commentary about this whole controversy blaming the media for this episode of scapegoating and character assassination. It is regrettable that the black journalist in the mainstream do not have the guts to blame their employers because they are providing cover for this racist double standard.

It has been the most shameful episode that I have witness in politics and this should expose the white sheets that the Clintons really don. They've made their career playing the race card.

Also, I do believe the stress of all those soundbites, the threats and disrespect of the church, and Obama having distanced himself had to have had a just horrible effect on Rev. Wright, one too deep to heal very quickly. The Moyers interview must have made him feel a bit better, but I think he was still not functioning as he would have had none of this happened; I just can't imagine anyone getting over all that very quickly. And the applause at the NAACP convention must have felt good. But I think he must still have gone into that NPC meeting off his stride -- and as a pastor, not a politician. I saw the looks and gestures of the moderator and can only imagine what the rest of the press were like. Basically, the only non-hostile faces were the church folk and I think he basically lost it, didn't think things through because he was still in such pain, and played to the only audience he felt would appreciate him. Interestingly, I read the Q&A to my husband and he loved them -- then I had him see the video, and he just groaned: it was not WHAT Dr. Wright said, but HOW HE SAID IT, that really played right into the hands of those who want to make sure Obama is not our next president.

I am still sickened by what has been done to Dr. Wright and the entire Trinity community.

I'm saying:Is barack and his church running for president? And if thats the case why aren't the other candidates being called to task about their churches and how much they adhere to their pastors and preachers.

You are absolutely right, it is a horrible double standard, especially in the case of McCain and Hagee. I'd take Rev. Wright over Hagee or Dobson any day.

But, I was just saying that from my own reading, I know that Trinity and Rev. Wright are being horribly misrepresented. Ideally, if the news media were doing their job properly, people would see the full picture. In lieu of that, it might be interesting if Trinity had a public relations "campaign".

I've seen some fair reporting on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 and MSNBC had a reporter on one day who had attended Trinity a few times and she said she never heard anyting "controversial". Unfortunately, attempts to show the full picture have been minimal.

There was one day when the media was trying to interview members outside of Trinity and no one was talking. It might have been helpful for those people to have talked to the media, tell them how unfairly their church had been painted.

Anyway, no Trinity shouldn't have to do anything, the emphasis on churches and religion is ridiculous, but this situation is what it is, and I hate to see your church unfairly misrepresented.